Can bed sores lead to amputation of limbs?
Yes. One of the most dramatic examples of how truly devastating bed sores can be is when a limb must be amputated due to severe bed sores. When bed sores are not treated properly, tissue damage can spread and infection, gangrene, can set in. In severe cases (where surgical debridement, antibiotics, and oxygen treatment are unsuccessful), amputation of the limb might be required to prevent the infection from spreading further. This is especially true in elderly people, especially those who are malnourished, because of poor blood flow. Amputation is the surgical removal of a limb or body part (arms, legs, feet, fingers, toes), usually to remove diseased tissue or relieve pain. The amputation procedure is performed by an orthopedic surgeon in a hospital operating room under regional or general anesthesia. The procedure varies depending on which limb is removed; however, all surgical amputations involve removing diseased tissue and constructing a stump, which will fit a prosthesis. The pro
